The finalists have been announced for the 2017 Celebration of Excellence.
    A panel of anonymous judges have reached their decisions and an excellent selection of finalists has been named for the Rotary Club of Drumheller’s 2017 Celebration of Excellence Awards.  The winners will be announced at a gala evening presented by Canalta and the Rotary Club of Drumheller on Saturday, April 8, at the Cretaceous Conference Centre.  
    Linda Traquair and Jamie Worman are the finalists for Citizen of the Year.  
    Since her retirement in 2007, Linda Traquair has become a very active volunteer in the community. Before her retirement, she served several years on the D.A.R.T.S. Board. She sat on the Drumheller Library Board for nine years and served as the Chairperson from 2009 to 2016. She has served as a Board Member of the Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club for the past two years and was a very active member of the Badlands Community Facility Steering and Design Committees.
    She served as the Vice Chair of the Town of Drumheller Olympic Torch Organizing Committee in 2009 and was Chairperson of the Organizing Committee to bring the Alberta 55-Plus Games to Drumheller in 2016.  
    Jamie Worman represents the next generation of volunteers in the Valley. He has already raised over $100,000 for charities. He was the driving force behind the “Santa Cause” campaigns and raised money for the Brandon Hall family to cover medical and travel expenses for cancer treatment.  
    Tired of the endless negativity on Facebook and Twitter, Jamie asked people to stop complaining about their community and instead support a needy child with a Back to School raffle to purchase back to school items that benefited 75 children.
 He has supported the Salvation Army food drive and organized a town snowball fight to raise funds. He has raised funds for the Dino Arts in Drumheller with a pie throwing contest and through social media has raised funds locally, nationally and internationally to support his different endeavors including support for Fort McMurray residents during the wild fires of 2016.
    For the Most Courteous Employee of the Year, Jocelyn Turenne and Don Woodruff are the finalists.
    Jocelyn works at The Brick, in Café Ole and is nominated for making every outing to the café special.  She greets patrons with a welcoming smile, remembering your preferences from previous visits. She gives special attention to all the customers from little ones in strollers to seniors.  She is described as kind and helpful and patient with those who are not sure how to order those “fancy” coffees.   
    Don Woodruff, as a Licensed Insurance Broker at Rutz Agencies, provides service with a smile.  He is very knowledgeable and his explanations of complex terms is to the point and understandable.  He does not mind being questioned and is helpful in suggesting other processes or things that might help to complete what you need.  He has a good memory for details and checks his facts. He is courteous and friendly even when interrupted during his lunch or other times of the day.
    Success in athletics is an important part of our community.  The 2017 female and male athletes have been selected.  Bailey Faubion and Noah Miles are named Drumheller Athletes of the Year.  
    The Town of Drumheller will be presenting the Badlands Scholarship and the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards. The Badlands Scholarship is a four-year, $500 scholarship intended for a student that will be attending post-secondary education. The Leaders of Tomorrow Awards are not academic awards, they are selected by teachers, the awards recognize a Junior and Senior High School student who demonstrates strong leadership and citizenship qualities.
    Presented by Canalta and the Rotary Club of Drumheller the gala evening takes place on Saturday, April 8 at the Cretaceous Banquet Room. A social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. Advance tickets on sale at SJ Fashions or call Helen Peers at 403-823-3578.

A home that was damaged in the recent floods along Highway 10X was destroyed by fire overnight.

Firefighters from the Drumheller and Rosedale halls responded to the blaze shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday morning. A neighbour reported the fire at the small home along the Wayne Road. On Saturday night, the same house was flooded when the Rosebud River spilled its banks.

There was no one in the home and when firefighters arrive on the scene, it was fully engulfed. Drumheller RCMP and Alberta Health Service Ambulances were also on the scene as well as utility companies.

At least two pump trucks were used to fight the flames and tankers were lined up at the gate of the property to fight the fire.

The home was unoccupied at the time the fire started and there were no reported injuries.